Photo: Leon Sandoval www.heyleon.com, Instagram @heyleonmedia and Facebook.com/heyleonmedia
Word has just come in that former UFC contender Kenny Florian is returning to Jiu-Jitsu competitions after a 13 year hiatus from grappling competitions.
Florian currently works as an analyst for UFC on Fox TV and also runs his own Martial Arts and BJJ academy.
Florian is an accomplished 3rd degree BJJ black belt under Roberto Maia of Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gracie Barra Boston) but his last grappling competition dates back to 2003.
Florian is 39 and is technically in Master 2 but he has registered for Masters 1 (over 30 to 35 years old) middleweight black belt division for the IBJJF New York Spring International Open, on April 9th and 10th.
He has intensified his training in recent weeks, and pictures of him training with Romulo Barral and AJ Agazarm have emerged.
Photo: Leon Sandoval www.heyleon.com, Instagram @heyleonmedia and Facebook.com/heyleonmedia
Florian’s division for the tournament:
BLACK / Master 1 / Male / Middle
Nakapan Phungephorn – BETA Academy
Kenneth Alan Florian – Florian Martial Arts Center
Fletcher Stephen Linton Jr. – Maxercise Phila
Brent Richard Insco – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Maurício Croccia de Paula – Ryan Gracie Team
Filipe Braga Costa – Soul Fighters BJJ
Kevin MacMullen – TAC Team BJJ
Thiago Libardi Santos – Team Link
Patrick John Walsh – Yamasaki Academy
Some of his past BJJ accomplishments:
– Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championships 2003 Brown Middle – 3rd Place
– NAGA BJJ Superfight Champion
– NAGA Advanced Gi Open Champion
– NAGA Advanced Gi Middleweight Champion
– NAGA North Eastern Grappling Championships – Pro Lightweight – 3rd Place
– 2002 Abu Dhabi US Trials
– Grapplers Quest Hall of Fame
– Grapplers Quest Superfight Champion
– Grapplers Quest Worlds Superfight Absolute Professional – 3rd place
– Grapplers Quest US Nationals Expert Middleweight – 3rd place
– 2002 Copa Atlantica Brown Belt Champion
Here is a Florian’s BJJ competition highlight from before 2003:
